Gas-to-Aerosol Phase Partitioning of Atmospheric Water-Soluble Organic Compounds at a Rural Site in China: An Enhancing Effect of NH3 on SOA Formation

Partitioning gaseous water-soluble organic compounds (WSOC) to the aerosol phase is a major formation pathway of atmospheric secondary organic aerosols (SOA). However, the fundamental mechanism of the WSOC-partitioning process remains elusive. By simultaneous measurements of both gas-phase WSOC (WSOCg) and aerosol-phase WSOC (WSOCp) and formic and acetic acids at a rural site in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of China during winter 2019, we showed that WSOCg during the campaign dominantly partitioned to the organic phase in the dry period (relative humidity (RH) < 80%) but to aerosol liquid water (ALW) in the humid period (RH > 80%), suggesting two distinct SOA formation processes in the region. In the dry period, temperature was the driving factor for the uptake of WSOCg. In contrast, in the humid period, the factors controlling WSOCg absorption were ALW content and pH, both of which were significantly elevated by NH3 through the formation of NH4NO3 and neutralization with organic acids. Additionally, we found that the relative abundances of WSOCp and NH4NO3 showed a strong linear correlation throughout China with a spatial distribution consistent with that of NH3, further indicating a key role of NH3 in WSOCp formation at a national scale. Since WSOCp constitutes the major part of SOA, such a promoting effect of NH3 on SOA production by elevating ALW formation and WSOCg partitioning suggests that emission control of NH3 is necessary for mitigating haze pollution, especially SOA, in China.

Automated summary

This study investigates the partitioning process of water-soluble organic compounds (WSOC) and its impact on secondary organic aerosols (SOA) formation. The results show that WSOC primarily partitions to the organic phase during dry periods and to aerosol liquid water during humid periods. NH3 plays a crucial role in the formation of WSOC aerosols.